Low-Income Services

Low-Income Services

Background

The Colorado Energy Office's (CEO) Low-Income Energy Services division develops policy and implements programs to holistically address household energy burden (the amount of household income spent on energy costs) for low-income residents in all 64 counties of Colorado. The average household in Colorado dedicates less than 4 percent of the household's income for energy expenditures. Many low-income households have expenditures that can exceed 10 percent; they are considered energy impoverished. CEO has developed unique approaches to addressing both home heating and household electricity use to meaningfully impact energy burden experienced by the Low-Income Energy Services division's target clients.

Colorado Energy Office Low-Income Energy Services Programs

The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) dedicates a significant portion of its effort to delivering cost-effective energy efficiency services (weatherization) to low-income households, directly reducing household energy burden and mitigating the impacts of energy poverty. Weatherization is particularly effective at reducing home heating costs through tightening and insulating homes and improving furnace efficiency. The emerging challenge is having a comparable impact on home electricity costs.